Termites attacking carved courthouse tree

Seven months ago, Lee County celebrated a new memorial with the eagle carving in front of the old courthouse in Downtown Fort Myers.

At the time, it provided a way to preserve a 120-year-old old oak tree.

But now, the dead wood is food for two types of Florida termites.

County pest control supervisor Mike Stephens points out a blemish on a wing that he says is damage from wood-eating termites.

"You have to assume that subterranean termites are just all over the ground all around it as well as under the ground eating the wood as we speak," Stephens says.

He says the problem affects nearly all dead wood and does not surprise him.

"Nothing could have been done really to prevent it," he says.

At first, termites attacked the tree's bark, then spread to the carving.

"You can't treat a living tree. The fumigant kills the plant and any kind of seed bearing tree. It's illegal to put a pesticide around it," Stephens says.

Now that the tree is dead, they're forced to fight termites. And to prevent further damage, Stephens says they'll have to fumigate the carving, then inject the soil with solution meant to kill termites that attack the root system.

"So those are the two types of things that we'll have to do on an ongoing measure over the years to preserve the structure," he says.

He expects preserving the structure to be an ongoing battle, but says it's one the county is prepared to fight so the eagle's image remains.

The county actually has a third pest to worry about as well – wood rot.

It happens when water gets inside the dead wood. So in addition to monitoring the eagle every six months for termites, Stephens also plans to use water sealants to prevent more wood rot from happening.

The termite treatment is expected to run about $7,000 and be paid for using county building and operating funds.